Firework
by ultraman64
Summary: Superboy finally gets a name.  AU, written before the series started new.


Warnings: Characters belong to DC. Title from Katy Perry's song.

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Firework

It's "status reports" that bring the senior members of the Justice League to Mount Justice, and doubles as a way to catch up on their growth as heroes and a team. While each of the mentors find their students ("sidekicks"), Superboy can't help but debate with himself on whether Superman will show. It's a cynical thought but it's been nearly two months since the team went active and the legendary superhero still can't have a normal conversation with his own student without suddenly leaving.

Or rather, his own son.

With a quiet huff of his breath, Superboy leaves the main lobby by slipping out the side door. He wants his friends to catch up with their mentors. To bask and enjoy their company for however long they're here. There's no reason for him to be a killjoy, so he's not going start pouting and stomping around. Even so, he can't help but want to hide his face before the others notice his darkening mood.

As he makes his way into the outer hallways, heading for the bedrooms, the main doors slide open and he's actually surprised when he sees the Man of Steel standing there. There's a look on his face, like he's some kind of lost little kid and is unsure where his mom is, he might even be panting from racing all the way here or something. It makes the superteen pause, struggling to contain his hope that maybe, just maybe, his mentor had been busy with some emergency and that was why he was late.

As he walks the rest of the way towards the older man. Superman notices the other's presences immediately, and shifts back and forth on his feet like he doesn't know what to do anymore. In that moment, Superboy can feel his hope drain away and when he stops before the other man, crosses his arm in defiance.

The other man clearly looks torn and clears his throat as a distraction. Gesturing towards the open plaza behind him, Superman gives a weak smile. "Would you like to take a walk?"

Superboy bites his tongue as the automatic answer of 'no' threatens to leave his mouth. Regardless of his hurt feelings, Superboy wants to spend time with this man, and even if all they do is walk around in a circle before he disappears once more...

He'll take it.

Jerking his head in affirmation, Superboy passes the other and together they walk in silence around the clean plaza of Mount Justice. There was a decent amount of silence as the two walk side by side, even with the barest sounds of the ocean and the bustling city to north of the base straining to be heard as background noise. The superteen doesn't know what to say and he wonders what's going through the other's mind.

Is he scared too? Worried that he'll make a mistake, and say the wrong thing? The teen doubts that, based on the fact that Superman would have to acknowledge his teen clone to do something like worry about his appearance. If there was anything that he learned since leaving CADMUS was that he wasn't worth being acknowledge. The thought makes him growl quietly, clench his fists in his crossed arms and look off in a direction that might be the ocean or just the coastline.

"Um... how are you...enjoy your time...here?"

Superboy blinks, turns to the other man. He still looks confused and nervous, even rubbing his hands together and Superboy uncrosses his arms to look at his own hands.

"It's been good," he admits and repeatedly clench and unclenched his hands before dropping them to his sides. "I've never been on a team, so it's new but they're all good people."

Superman nods his head, smiles weakly again. "I...had trouble. When, uh, I started to..." He waves his hands in the air and laughs lightly. "Team up, with the...the others as well."

"Yeah?" The boy nods and fights to urge to cross his arms again. "I didn't know you could get...you know, troubled by stuff."

The look Superman gets is positively taken aback by the statement and a dark blush erupts across his face as he shrugs again and again. "Ha...ha. It's not so much... it wasn't like..." The man licks his lips and Superboy suddenly licks his own lips, because he always does that when he's nervous. There's a lull in the conversation as they both stare at each other, surprised looks on both of their faces.

In one motion, they turn away from each other, clearing throats and coughing lightly. When Superman speaks again, there's a calmness to it. "I had trouble because I was so unsure if I belonged."

Superboy still has his back turned to him and he wonders if it's a lie when Superman steps up beside him and the teen can watch him from the corner of his eye. "I mean, I'd been on my own for so long, that I didn't think I could live up to someone of Flash or Batman's caliber."

"No way," Superboy blurts out. "You're like ten times cooler than either of those guys."

The dark blush appears again and Superman laughs, but it's lighter this time. It's more natural and he smiles slightly at teen next to him. "But I was just an amateur at the time, so I was nervous." He looks off, towards the opening of the plaza and streets beyond. "Still, I realized that I couldn't just hide and pretend that I didn't need them. I did need them...So, I made the effort to work and get to know them."

The confession made Superboy shift in place and he slightly hikes his shoulders in response. It felt like it was a confession that was bigger, more important than what they were actually talking about and his crushed hope suddenly surges in his chest, made him grin despite his worried feelings.

"Yeah? Sounds like everything worked out in the end."

A loud, childish laugh made Superboy look up and he spotted Robin jogging pass Batman as both were strolling just outside of the plaza's courtyard. In a smooth motion, Robin could be seen performing a running front flip before rolling into a somersault, which turned into a cartwheel. The boy's laughter wafted across the plaza and Superboy can only blink as Batman places one hand onto the other boy's shoulder. It was such a simple gesture, that could easily be seen as trying to calm the boy down, to make him stop, to get his attention. But even at distance they were at, both Kryptonians could see it was more than that. It was affection, pride, and love all rolled into one simple and small gesture.

In another moment, both Gotham heroes were out of sight and Superboy swallowed against the lump of...something, that was now lodged in his throat.

Superman coughed quietly and turned back towards the base's main doors. "We should..." He waved his hand again, looking nervous as he spoke. "We shouldn't always have to wait for the end. Maybe it's better to move forward fast, and try to make the most of everything that is happening."

It took a long moment for Superboy to understand and he cough out a small laugh, reaching up to rub at his burning eyes. "That's so corny..."

Superman smiled as he turned back towards him, raising his hand and dropped it heavily onto Superboy's shoulder. Taking a deep breath, Superman's face took a sudden serious turn and his hand tightened on the teen's shoulder. "My name is Kal-El... Son of Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van."

Even being outdoors, it felt like all the air had left the area and he suddenly couldn't breath. Superboy could barely uttered out, "Kal-El..." when Superman continued.

"I'd be honored if...if you joined my house as...as Kon-El."

"Kon-El?" The boy parroted back, too stunned to do much else. He stared up at the other man, so many thoughts and feeling rushing in him. This wasn't just the beginning of a mentor/sidekick relationship, this was asking the teen to join the house of Superman, a house with a legacy.

A family that wasn't just made up of his friends.

Blue eyes stared into blue eyes and Superboy felt his grinned nearly split his face in two. "The honor would be mine."

Kal-El's cheeks darkened with a blush and he once more squeezed Kon-El's shoulder before stepping away. He nodded once before turning back towards the main doors and started off. It felt like a burst of fire engulfed his chest and Kon-El couldn't keep the grin off his face, even if he tried as he raced to catch up with his mentor.

His..father.

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Based of a LJ anon_youngjustice prompt.


End file.
